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Thursday, June 23, 2011

May 23rd, 1781 Nuptials...or Not

Tomorrow we marry! I am overflowing with joy at the thought, and yet it hardly seems real. A few hours, which I would call short, but they will not seem so; and then I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.

I fled Paris by the Porte de Versailles, knowing that even if F- were waiting for me he would expect me to head south out of the city towards Auvergne. Meeting T- at a coaching inn nearby he joined me in my carriage and we headed for Lille instead where T- has friends and we might secure a hasty union. There has been talk of going to Florence or Venice or Rome to get away from France until things have calmed down, but I fear that would only make them worse. Now here we are, in Lille and a local priest has agreed to marry us, for a price, of course.

Oh, but I have forgotten to mention that as I was leaving Sully who should arrive but Christine! I had completely forgotten that she was to come to Paris for the wedding with F-, but instead we kidnapped her most willingly and have made her a party to our adventure. We will all laugh-

Christine has brought me a note and the news is bad. F- has indeed called off the wedding as requested, but he has also I suspect given the Paris police reason to suppose that T- may be a spy for the British and a friend at the Ferme writes to urge him to flee until the matter can be sorted out. I have sent Christine to bring T- back here at once from his errands. Do we go together or stay long enough to be married tomorrow?

Neither, I think. If F- wishes to prevent our marriage then he has succeeded in that at least temporarily, but he will expect T- and I to run away together, and if we do he may be caught and thrown into jail. F- will delay the trial all he can; and to think that not long ago he was our dearest friend! No, I will go to Auvergne for the summer, as the court retires to Fountainebleau, and they will not find T- with me. He must go alone, and I must not say where. To delay would be foolish. We have waited this long, we can wait still more until these accusations have passed.

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About Me

I am a university professor and costume professional who calls Virginia home. Interested in costume history, and history in general, I endeavor constantly to better understand life through those who lived it.